


Unwelcome Changes

by Elanor_1999



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, M/M, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24109249
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elanor_1999/pseuds/Elanor_1999
Summary: Werewolves commonly exist and live between humans. They are admired and feared with equal fervor. Alan Ackles has a laboratory dedicated to experiment with them. To him, they are nothing more than animals. Jensen never agreed with his father, and, when the company captured a little pack of pups he just couldn't handle anymore. He sneaked at night ready to free them. Unknown to him, the baby's pack was also on their way. Jared, the alpha, blinded by his rage and thinking Jensen was like his father, decided to turn him and abandon him to his luck.Written for a kinkmeme fill almost a decade back, crossposted from livejournal. I finally have the ability to finish up this fic.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Comments: 142
Kudos: 159





	1. Chapter 1

Jensen turned the volume on his headset higher, to the point where his ear drums were starting to hurt but it didn't help. The low whine of the puppy continued to pierce through to his head, insistent, pitiful, almost accusing. Unable to stand it any longer he approached the cage and kneeled down to examine the three pups in the cage. Two were huddled together in the back corner and the third was sitting towards the front, pawing at the bars and whining. It backed up slightly as Jensen approached but soon mustered up the courage to attack the bars again.  
  
"Hey, little guy. I really don't think that's going to help." Jensen said as softly as he could, not wanting to spook the pup. It looked up at him as he spoke, and Jensen wished he hadn't. The look was too intelligent, too human for him to pretend that these were just a bunch of abandoned strays. It was all too obvious that these were sentient creatures, that would grow up to speak, think, love and hate just like him.  
  
Humanity was still adjusting to the idea of weres, and so was Jensen. It had been less than a year since the werewolf community had announced their existence. The initial reaction by the majority of people had been disbelief but it hadn't taken long for that disbelief to transform into fear. As the nature and abilities of werewolves became more evident, it was obvious that they were a few steps higher than humans in the evolutionary chain. Besides their legendary transformation skills, they also had advanced regenerative abilities. They weren’t just faster and stronger, but better in almost every way. But the most worrisome discovery was their ability to infect humans, turning them into weres.It was difficult to turn on a news channel these days without some news anchor or guest announcing the end of humanity as we knew it.  
  
While most people had either panicking or holding up banners in support of the weres, Jensen's father was among the select few whose mind had gone immediately to profiteering. There were no laws in place to protect the weres, which made them exceptionally good targets for medical experimentation.  
  
Jensen broke out of his reverie, attention drawn back to the little were pup in the cage. He, well, Jensen assumed it was a _he_ , had the distinctive tuft of hair on his forehead that betrayed him for what he truly was. His body was covered in shining dark brown fur and he looked surprisingly healthy. He must have been well taken care of by his family.

Jensen had to wonder what he looked like in his human form. Slowly he held out his hand, a couple of inches from the bars. The puppy stopped his whining and pawing immediately, delicately sniffing Jensen's hand. Jensen smiled at he felt the puffs of breath hit his fingers and slowly moved his hand closer, till the pup was licking him.  
  
"Jensen! Move your hand away now." There was no mistaking the annoyance in his father’s tone.  
  
Jensen pulled back his hand reluctantly, getting back to his feet to greet his father.  
  
"I know that you young people are all about living life on the edge, but trying to get yourself mauled by a mutant creature seems to be pushing it a little." The light tone of his voice did little to temper the steel in his father's eye.  
  
"It's a pup, Dad. I doubt its teeth are strong enough to cut through a piece of cotton candy right now."  
  
"That is no ordinary pup, Jensen, as you very well know."  
  
"Where did you get them? I thought that weres were protective of their young."  
  
"Ah, yes." His fathers face brightened, as though eager to share an interesting anecdote with him. Jensen might have appreciated his father’s happy mood wasn’t the result of something quite so disturbing. "Quite a stoke of luck, actually. Their mom was killed by a street gang or something. They weren't the brightest bulbs in the chandelier, but at least they had the sense to realize that keeping the pups alive was more profitable. I got the pups and the mother's corpse today morning."  
  
"Quite the fairy tale," Jensen remarked.  
  
"Jensen, you have made your opinion on the matter quite clear on this matter. I thought we agreed to disagree."  
  
"These are pups, Dad. Don’t tell me this doesn't feel at least a little bit wrong."  
  
"I won't. But whether or not you want to accept it, a significant number of discoveries in the last few decades have come from animal experimentation. In the last few months alone, if you knew all the things we have learnt from studying weres, Jensen, you would be amazed. We could save millions of lives, human lives"  
  
"And I suppose you have already taken out patents so that any 'human lives' that want to be saved will have to pay through their nose for it."  
  
"I don't appreciate your tone, this is what I do. Anyway, I am glad you came by, it was good to see you." His father turned to his desk, away from Jensen, which was his standard signal for dismissing someone. Jensen felt a little guilty immediately, it had been the first time in a month that he had been able to visit, and it hadn't been his intention to start an argument.  
  
"You too." Jensen started to leave, only to be halted by another whine from the cage.  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What will happen to them?"  
  
"Do you really want to know?"  
  
"No," Jensen last one last glance at the cage. "No, I guess I don’t."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________   
  
Jensen didn't consider himself to be someone who lived life on the edge, no matter what his father thought. He was enrolled for his Master’s degree in management and hoped to be a thoroughly boring CEO one day, with a salary impressive enough that being boring wouldn't matter that much. But he was not now, nor had he been capable in the past, of leaving something that bothered him alone.  
  
As a child his father used to take him to his laboratory, and Jensen looked forward to playing with the little white mice that were kept in the cages. He had yet to persuade his parents to let him get a pet at home. There was one in particular, with one chewed off ear, that always used to crawl up his arm to sniff at his hair. He had named the little guy Dori and sought him out during each visit. Until one day an unwitting lab technician had told him what the mice were really for, that they were paralyzed, pinned to a board and poked in the eye to draw blood. Jensen had calmly waited until the lab tech was busy, and walked out with Dori in his pants pocket. His father had not been amused, but had deferred to his mother's opinion on the matter and Jensen had ended up with his first pet ever.  
  
He somehow doubted it would be that easy this time. He could hardly walk out with three werepuppies in his pants pocket and expect his father not to take action. His mother was not around to calm down his father anymore. Her death had hardened him, changed him from a supportive, if somewhat formal presence in Jensen's life to a virtual stranger in a matter of months. Jensen had turned to his friends for comfort, and his father to his career. Besides, even if he somehow pulled off a daring rescue, he could hardly raise a family of werewolves in his one bedroom apartment.  
  
All of which was to say, he should be out having a beer with his friends instead of sitting front of his lap top googling local werewolf populations. But that was just what he was doing, much to his own annoyance.  
  
The sound of the key turning in the lock was not entirely unexpected, he had cancelled plans with Chris, and nobody ever cancelled on Chris without facing the consequences. His friend walked in confidently, looking for all the world as if he owned the place and settled himself on the couch next to Jensen.  
  
"Please tell me you have a good reason to stay home on a Saturday night."  
  
"I do," Jensen muttered, turning back to the laptop. "I am planning world domination. You'll all find out soon. Muahahaha."  
  
"That would be funny if you weren't so pathetically obvious. What's going on?"  
  
Jensen wondered if he should be annoyed but decided to be grateful to have a friend around.  
  
"My dad caught a littler of were puppies today," Jensen said. "He's going to do God knows what to them and I just can't…"  
  
"Let it go?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're an idiot."  
  
"I know, I should be leaving this alone."  
  
"No, you should be asking the right people, instead of sitting in the dark staring computer. Say a friend who once hooked up with a werewolf."  
  
"I am not sitting in the…..say what?"

Chris just leaned further back and smirked, looking extremely self-satisfied.

"You are totally making that up."  
  
"What can I say; some of us actually go out on Saturday nights and get laid. You should try it sometime."  
  
"I am not an idiot, Chris. All the information out there says that werewolves mate for life, they don't sleep around."  
  
"The whole mating system isn't perfect, Jensen. Sometimes you go your whole life thinking that your childhood sweetheart is your mate only to hit maturity and realize that you aren't compatible with him. If that doesn't entitle a girl a sleep around a little bit, I don't know what does."  
  
"Wow, okay. You actually…"  
  
"Yes, I did. Let's move past the moment, shall we? And back to the point, I am sure she would know what to do. So, that's one part solved. The question now comes down to whether you are actually ready to piss off your Dad."  
  
"I don't know," Jensen shrugged helplessly. "It's just that I keep thinking things will get better between us. If my Mom knew how far we have gotten from each other, she'd be devastated. And if I do this, well he's definitely not going to get over it. Hell, I'd be lucky not to get arrested."  
  
"That’s true," Chris replied neutrally, watching him carefully.  
  
"Maybe I should just leave it."  
  
"Mmmhmm."  
  
"Do you want to watch a movie or something?"  
  
"Yeah, sure. Jensen?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"When are you going to call her?"  
  
Jensen sighed, handing over his cell to Chris. "Put the number in, will you?"

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
Jared glanced around at his pack, he had never felt so entire useless as an leader in the time he had been alpha. Admittedly, it hadn't been that long, and most of it was during a period where his kind and his pack had been hunted ruthlessly but he had never seen his pack so dejected.

There was a special kind of desperation associated with losing pups. Most couples of the pack had chosen not to breed this year, deciding that it was too risky in the current environment. As much as Jared hated to the admit it, he had been glad. It was taking all his ingenuity, just keeping the pack adults alive.

And now the only pups of the pack were gone, and he had no idea what to do. Their mother had probably taken them out for their first moon. By the time her mate had sensed her plight and alerted the pack, it was already too late. The area had been empty, the sour stink of blood, pain and death hovering in the air.  
  
"Jared, a word in private?" Misha’s voice sounded near his ear.  
  
Jared followed Misha out into the hall, away from the rest of his pack.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I may have some news about the kids, Jared. I can't be sure, of course but one of my contacts in the city has told me that were unharmed, that they were taken to Ackles Corporation.  
  
Jared let out a low growl, the actions of Ackles Corporation were well known to him. He tried to compose himself before asking, "Do you believe your contact?"  
  
"Yes, I do." Misha replied, in his usual placid tone. Most werewolves wore their heart on their sleeves, Misha being one of the few who went through life with a poker face. Jared found himself unexpectedly grateful for that right now.  
  
"We go after them."  
  
"Jared, maybe we should think this through."  
  
"No, I am not going to think. I am sick of turning tail and running, Misha, while they hunt and kill us. This is too much. We go after them, we save our pups."  
  
"Yes, Alpha."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments and kudos...hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Jensen took deep breaths trying to calm himself as he sat in the car, facing building that had been owned by his family for years. He had a lot of good memories of this place from his childhood, being treated like royalty by his father’s employee’s whenever he had been brought there. Someone was always sneaking his a treat or two out of his mother’s line of sight.

It wasn’t just about that though….he remembered when this building had been a source of wonder to him, his pride when his mother explained that the work being done by his father had saved thousands of lives. His naivety seemed a bit silly now.

In fact, the building itself suddenly seemed a hell of a lot more imposing than it had just that afternoon. It was tempting to just turn around and leave. But he knew he wouldn’t. The conversation with Chris's werewolf, Genevieve, had at least convinced him that he was doing the right thing, whatever the consequences would be. Genevieve had agreed to take them even before he had completed explaining the situation. As she had discussed a possible location for a meet up, she could hear the outrage and desperation in her tone.  
  
Jensen steeled himself and got out. The whole thing wouldn't be too difficult, every one in the building knew him and would probably let him get by. Sneaking out with the pups would be a bit more tricky, but not impossible, he knew which routes were likely to be unoccupied, especially this late at night. However, he still jumped slightly when James, the security guard greeted him as he entered the building.  
  
"Mr.Ackles! Can I help you?"  
  
"No, thanks. I just left my iPod behind when I visited my Dad today. Do you mind if I go get it. I think it's in the laboratory wing."  
  
"Sure, would you like me to come with you?"

"Not necessary, James. I have my access card. I'll be in and out in five minutes."  
  
"Okay then, have a good night, Sir."  
  
"You too."  
  
Jensen breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator door closed, hiding him from view. As familiar as he was with this place, today he felt like a criminal and he wondered how it wasn't immediately obvious to any one who saw him.

Getting to the pups was easy, his father had always trusted him enough to allow him access to all parts of the building. Jensen suppressed the ever-present twinge of guilt at betraying the only family he had left. His father didn't forgive or forget, and Jensen knew this was going to do damage to their relationship that would never be undone.  
  
As he looked at the three pups, slowing awakening from their sleep in the cage, he hoped it was worth it. He lifted the cage slowly, mentally tracking his exit route. There was never a guard at the back exit, only a security camera that wasn't even operational, more intended to scare away possible intruders. He knew he could get there without running into anybody. He only hoped the pups cooperated and didn't kick up a racket.  
  
Mind made up, he turned to the door, only to freeze in his tracks. There was a tall man standing at the door, staring at him with what a kind of hatred that made Jensen shiver. The man wasn't one of the security guards that Jensen knew, and at any rate he wasn't wearing the uniform.  
  
"Put them down." The man's voice was much closer to a growl than it was to a human voice.  
  
Jensen put the cage down. He was about to demand an explanation, when he was slammed to the floor by the two-hundred pound stranger. The man’s face was inches from his, and Jensen found himself staring to almond shaped hazel eyes, that were somehow captivating despite the hate in them. That was the last thing noticed before he felt an excruciating pain on his right shoulder, close to his neck. As he passed out from the pain seconds later, he found himself thinking of those eyes.  
  
  
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
Werewolves had existed for so long, even they weren’t sure exactly how the first one had come around. Multiple legends floated around….from the romantic to the fanciful to the outright ridiculous. Jared’s mother used to prefer one that said that there had once been a man and a wolf that became friends, such close friends that they couldn't exist without the other, and the first werewolf had been created. Jared had never liked that particular legend, it seemed to imply that the wolf and human parts of a werewolf were different from each other, that they were two different souls. Most of his life, Jared had been completely comfortable with his wolf skin, sure his thoughts were a little more simple, and he was perhaps a little more driven by instinct, but he had never felt out of control or as though something or someone else was taking him over.  
  
His father had warned him when he had been declared Alpha that his wolf would naturally become stronger, more dominant and that the human in him would have to be very diligent in controlling it. Jared had scoffed then, but now he was starting to realize what his father had meant. It was as though he could no longer think clearly, no longer act logically. Everything he felt was different, more intense. A member of his pack, who had been his responsibility, was now dead and her cubs were possibly being tortured now. The wolf in him wanted to hurt somebody, it almost didn't matter who at this point. The thought of lashing through the Ackles Corporation, killing anyone that stood in his way seemed extremely satisfactory. It only vaguely bothered Jared that the thought didn't upset him.  
  
Getting inside the Corporation was almost too simple, there were only two security guards near the front of the building, both of whom were easily taken out, before they got a chance to alert everybody. Perhaps the company thought that werewolves were too scared to be a threat. Once inside the building, Jared's wolf had taken over, drawing him to the youngest members of his pack. He didn't wait for the others, confident that they could handle themselves.  
  
He ripped through doors, not caring that he was probably triggering alarms all over the place. They'd be able to get out before help arrived. When he finally reached the pups, he immediately sensed the presence of a threat nearby. He approached the door silently, and took in the sight of the room.  
  
There was a young man in the room, and Jared recognized the face. His photo had been published in many articles about the Ackles corporation, the young successful son of Alan Ackles, a management student who would one day take over his father's company and keep his work alive.  
  
The wolf surged up, demanding its pound of flesh and Jared didn't even try to stop it. He gave up control to the part of himself that could avenge his pack mates. He pushed the young man to the floor, not even entirely sure what he wanted to do. The wolf instinctually went for the killing bite to the throat but stopped suddenly as though confused by something. It recovered quickly and delivered a deep bite to the man's shoulder instead. Jared could feel his own saliva seeping into the gaping wound, horror and satisfaction running through him with equal frenzy.  
  
He had committed an act that was considered worse than murder among his kind, turning a human without express consent. But he didn't care, if ever there was a human that deserved this fate, it was this man, Jensen Ackles, the future of Ackles corporation.  
  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
"Jared, did you find…what have you done?" Misha's voice sounded behind him as Jared stared at the unconscious man under him.  
  
Jared turned his head to his pack mate, wincing at the look of open horror on Misha's face. It was a game among their pack to try to rattle the stoic man, or at least it had been in happier times, when survival wasn't at the forefront of their minds all the time. He didn't feel much satisfaction a having achieved that seeming impossible task now, not when his friend was looking at him as though he had no idea who Jared was.  
  
"I did what needed to be done," Jared muttered, climbing back to his feet.

"He was trying to move them. He probably heard the alarms and was trying to take them out of our reach."

"And you had no other way of stopping him?"

"He deserved it, you know what he and his father have done to our kind, they treat us like monsters, like animals. I wonder what the great Alan Ackles will do when his son becomes one of us."

  
"You just proved him and all the rest of those bigots right, Jared. This was their greatest fear, and you have just given them the proof they wanted to convince the rest of the world."

"Misha, we are wasting time. We need to get out of here now, you can tear me a new one later."  
  
"Fine, help me with him." Misha moved to Jensen's side, and started to haul him up off the floor.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I thought you were the one in a hurry." Misha muttered, "Help me, will you? He's heavier than he looks."  
  
"We're not taking him with us."  
  
"You have got to be kidding me."  
  
"Misha, he's still one of them now, irrespective of what happened here. We cannot take him back with us, if he finds out where we live, he could lead the others to us. I will not take that risk."  
  
"Jared, he's going to turn within the next ten hours, you know that. How can you possibly think of leaving someone alone during their first turning? Are you really that far gone?"  
  
"Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Misha, I am still Alpha. You either follow my orders or challenge me right here, now."  
  
"Okay, Alpha." Misha gently laid Jensen back onto the floor.

Jared turned back to the cage, opening it and letting the pups out of their confinement. They tottered out unsteadily, obviously scared at all the commotion around them. Jamie and Tara stuck close to his feet, but Ben made straight for the prone man, and started to gently knead at Jensen's shoulder, even licking him when the other man didn’t awaken. It was a gesture pups usually reserved for adults of the pack, an innate sign of trust on their part. Jared could feel Misha's gaze boring a hole into him.  
  
"We'll take him outside," Jared conceded. "We cannot take him back with us, but we can take him out of this place." He glaced at the cages and equipment surrounding them, even Ackles did not deserve to be left here.  
  
Their exit was much slower, hampered by three excitable pups and a six foot tall unconscious man, but somehow they made it and met the rest of the pack outside. They laid Jensen in an alleyway a few hundred yards from the building. The rest of the pack were quiet about the whole matter, though Jared could see the confusion in their eyes.  
  
Jared took once last glance at Jensen Ackles, lying in the alleyway next to the garbage bin, and had to suppress a twinge of guilt. Most his anger had faded away, leaving a sense of hopelessness and foreboding.  
  
"Jared," Misha's voice was unexpectedly gentle. "If you leave him here, you will regret it for the rest of your life."  
  
"Lets go, Misha. We need to get out of here."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the comments....hope you continue to enjoy the story!

When Jensen's mother had passed away, he had felt her loss acutely for a long time. It was as though a piece of him had been cruelly snatched away, and he was left incomplete. Over time, he had managed to push that ever present feeling to the back of his mind, but as he drifted towards consciousness now, it was that familiar feeling that overwhelmed him before he was even fully awake, though it was much stronger than it had been for a long time. He tried to escape back into the safety of his apartment that had been so clear in his mind just seconds ago, but it was impossible.

Now fully awake, he could feel the throbbing pain shooting through his shoulder and the hard surface he was laying on was poking him everywhere. He reluctantly opened his eyes and stared up the night sky, looming above him. His eyes were drawn to the moon, not quite full but nonetheless a striking figure among all the shining stars. It somehow instilled a slight sense of calm in him, enough to allow him to allow him to take in his current situation without panicking.  
  
He recognized the alleyway as being the one he had passed by a hundred times to get to his father's office, though he couldn't remember it smelling quite so bad before. He could make out the looming building of Ackles Corporation in the distance. He pulled himself to his feet, wincing as the movement sent a jolt of pain through his shoulder. The memories suddenly came flashing back, the litter of pups, sneaking into his father's laboratory and the strange man with the beautiful eyes…who had bitten him.  
  
Jensen's hand shot to his shoulder, and came away sticky and wet. An excerpt from the first article he had ever read about werewolves suddenly struck his mind. _A werewolf is reputed to have the ability to turn humans into their kind through a single bite. There is very little known about this phenomenon, as the werewolves are not talking about it, and no turned humans have come forward with any information either._

Jensen shook his head, trying to get a grip on himself. Nobody's luck was that bad, not even his own. If werewolves went around attacking people, it would have certainly made the news. God knew there were enough people around nowadays who would have a field day with that kind of news.  
  
Unbidden, the look of fury on the werewolf's (Jensen was now sure that the strange man must have been one) face sprang to his mind. Jensen had never in his life seen such a unadulterated hatred aimed at him. He had gone through life trying his best to not do any harm to anybody, and he did not deserve this.  
  
Jensen fa sharp burst of annoyance run through him at the unfairness of it, and aimed a kick at the dustbin. A second later he cringed, fully expecting to feel the pain shooting up his leg. He was surprised when it didn't make it presence felt, even after a full minute. The night wasn't particularly cold, but Jensen pulled off his shoe, wondering if his foot had somehow gone numb. A tentative poke revealed that his extremities seemed to be functioning just fine. The dustbin on the other hand, seemed to have borne the brunt of the damage in the encounter; the thick metal side quite obviously dented.  
  
Jensen backed away, trying unsuccessfully to quash the rising panic in him. He has lived his life in a nice comfortable little box, and nothing he had ever been exposed to in his life had prepared him for something like this.  
  
_Chris,_ he suddenly thought to himself, _Chris would know what to do, Chris would help him get back to his apartment and maybe he could get his werewolf to turn him back. Chris would help him and make everything alright again, just like he had done after Jensen's mom had passed away._  
  


\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------   
  
  
Jared ignored the tense silence in the van as the group made it way back to his house, where the remainder of the pack, including the pup's father, Joe, was waiting. Jared had had to exert every bit of authority in him to keep the grieving man from joining the rescue party. And in the end it had been a combination of him pulling rank and promising him that his pups would be saved, even if was the last thing Jared did as Alpha that finally convinced him to stay back.  
  
Jared supposed he should be feeling victorious, or at least satisfied at the outcome. The three pups were dozing safely in the back of the van, and none of the members of the rescue party had been injured. But the mood of the party was completely the opposite. Misha's jaw was clenched tight and he had barely spoken two words since they had started the drive back. The rest of the pack was more guarded in their disapproval, but Jared had caught one or two of them staring at him disbelievingly when they thought he was looking elsewhere.  
  
In hindsight Jared could admit to himself that his action had been hasty and if it had been any other human, Jared could have understood his pack’s disapproval. But when one considered all the crimes that the Ackles family had committed against his kind and his pack in the last few months, had he really been that wrong?

There were no laws in place to protect the werewolves, and in the eyes of the law, experimenting on a werewolf or even killing one was no more punishable than doing the same to a laboratory mouse. The Ackles Corporation would have continued to make money off his pack's misery, and they would never have been held accountable. He had felt a vicious sense of joy as he had delivered the bite, and somehow between the Ackles' getting away with all their actions or one of them getting punished for it, the latter had seemed more just.  
  
He knew that he would have to pay for what he had done. The rules about turning a human were very clear. A human needed to be told, in detail, about the life of werewolves and their habits and had to consent to being turned. Some packs even insisted on a waiting period where the humans were allowed to stay and interact with the pack to determine if this was really something they could cope with.  
  
There was little he could about it one way or another now. He could only deal with the consequences as they came. Jared sighed and pulled out his phone. He could at least call Joe and tell him that his children were safe. He turned his cell phone on and startled slightly. There were thirty-four missed calls on his cell phone. He could understand that the pack was keen to learn the news, but this was ridiculous. A quick inspection revealed that twelve of the calls had come from his residence number and the rest was from…Genevieve?  
  
Jared stared at the phone, his mind not quite registering the information. He hadn't heard from Genevieve in over seven years, not since that fateful day when they had discovered they were incompatible as mates. Life had been so simple as children, when both the two of them and the entire pack had believed that they would be the perfect couple.  
  
The phone ran again, and the name Genevieve flashed across his screen again. He picked up the phone dumbly; mind filled with images of a childhood and of a friend that he had not thought about for a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the feedback...hope you continue to enjoy the story!

"Jared, are you there?" Genevieve's voice sounded in his ear for the first time in years.  
  
Jared tried to answer, but his throat felt constricted, and his reply was barely more than a whisper. "Gen?"  
  
"Yes, Jared. It's been a long time, but you can't have forgotten my voice already." Jared could hear the teasing under the worry and exasperation; it was one of the things he had so loved about her. He hadn't even realized just how much he had missed her till now.  
  
"In my defense, it's a pretty generic voice."  
  
The light chuckling on the other end soothed Jared's nerves slightly.  
  
"I've missed you, Jared. You have no idea…but that's not why I called. Jared, I know what happened to Lisa's pups."  
  
\---------------------  
  
Misha could sense the confusion of the pack all around him, and he knew he wasn't helping. He was supposed to be the faithful right hand of the Alpha, and right now his body language towards Jared could tip off a wolf a hundred feet away on a dark night about his feelings. The pack had been through a tough time in the last year, and he couldn't see the situation improving for them anytime soon. If ever there was a time they had to stick together, this was it.  
  
He took a few deep breaths, trying to find the sense of calm that usually wasn't that difficult for him to grasp. But now, it eluded him, and the haunting feeling that something had changed irrevocably today continued to taunt him. He shuddered as he thought of the few seconds when he had actually considered challenging not just his Alpha, but his best friend. The number of times that an Alpha had been overthrown by the next in charge in the entire history of werewolves could be probably counted on two hands. Despite what most humans thought, they were not a bunch of animals, jostling for rank or power. Weres cared more about pack than most humans could even comprehend.  
  
Most of his life had been in black and white, and every situation had had a right answer and a wrong one. There were good people and bad one, and he knew which he was. But Misha felt out of his depth now, his instinct to support his pack mate and leader warring with his sense of morality. He was lost for the first time in his life, and he resented Jared for putting him in this situation.  
  
He glanced up as Jared answered the phone, expecting it to be one of the pack, calling to check up on them. The whispered _"Gen?'_ caught his ear, and he sat up straight, watching the emotions play across his friend's face. He suppressed a wince of sympathy, Genevieve had always been a painful subject for his friend, and it seemed hardly fair that he should have to deal with that particular demon as well on this day.  
  
He watched his friend carefully, and tried to pinpoint the emotions as they crossed his face, disbelief, nostalgia, and then confusion. All of a sudden the color left Jared's face as he listened to whatever Genevieve was saying, and the phone dropped from his grasp to the floor, the sound sharp and startling.  
  
"Jared?" Misha asked tentatively, when the silence stretched on for a minute.  
  
Jared continued to stare at the window in front of him, face growing whiter by the second. Misha raised his voice as he called Jared again, trying to insert enough authority into his voice to get a reaction. When that failed as well, he made his way to Jared, kneeling in front of him, shaking Jared lightly by the shoulder. The tension in the van was palpable with every eye fixed on the two of them, with the exception of the pups who were happily dozing on the floor.  
  
Jared mumbled something, so indistinctly that even Misha's wolf couldn't make out what had been said.  
  
"Jared? What's going on?"  
  
"We have to go back." His voice was stronger, though it was still a little shaky.  
  
"What?"  
  
"We have to go back. Turn the van around." The tone this time was that of a true Alpha, no longer unsure or hesitant.  
  
  
\----------------------  
  
Chris was at his wits end, he had no idea what he was supposed to do now. The call from Jensen had been less than thirty minutes ago, and he had run at least half a dozen signals to get here as soon as he could. As he had arrived, he could hear the sirens from two police cars in front of the Ackles Corporation office, but he had made his way to the alley, his friend's panicked instructions to his location the only thing on Chris's mind.  
  
Now that he was here, Jensen seemed to have disappeared. His dozen calls or so to Jensen had gone unanswered and his attempts to contact Genevieve had been in vain as well, there was nothing he could think to do that would remotely help his friend.  
  
 _"Chris, you have to help me…I think he turned me, I can feel…please get here…I need help."_ Jensen's voice ran through his head again, causing him to feel like he was crawling out of his skin. Deep down, even as he had made his way here, he knew there was nothing he could do to help if Jensen had been turned.  
  
Chris dialed Genevieve's number again, letting out an explosive sigh of relief when the phone finally rang.  
  
"Genevieve, what on earth is going on? Where is Jensen?"  
  
"I don't know, Chris. I've been calling him for the last hour, I was worried when he didn't turn up with the pups."  
  
"Of course he didn't turn up with the damned pups, one of you monsters attacked him. How could you do this, Gen? He was trying to help, for God's sake."  
  
"You are out of your mind, we would never…he was probably caught, did you consider that?"  
  
"I want to know where he is, right now."  
  
"Chris, I am not lying to you, I appreciate all that Jensen has done, and I promise we won't let anything happen to him. Look, I finally managed to contact my pack, I lost the connection but I told them that Jensen was trying to get the pups, they are probably on their way to help. They'll track him for you, and we can figure out what happened, okay?"

"Fine, Genevieve. But he better be okay, I was the one who persuaded him to get involved…and if anything has happened to him, someone's going to pay."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the delay, hope you like the new chapter :)

Jared had never felt more alive in his entire life than in this moment. All his panic and guilt seemed to have given him a short reprieve, from the second the scent of the newly turned wolf had hit him. The scent was just so strong, and so damn good. His wolf was begging to be freed, to seek the owner of the strange alluring smell. Despite what had happened the last time he had given to that urge, Jared once again succumbed to the pull. He needed to track down the other man, for better or worse.  
  
Before jumping out of the van, he turned to Misha briefly, conveying with a look that Misha was in charge of the rest of the pack now. Misha nodded slightly, and the wolf was free to run, momentarily abandoning the burden of protecting the entire pack.  
  
The new wolf wasn't that difficult to find, even if it weren't for the scent, he was behaving in an age old fashion typical to all werewolves, heading away from the city and the people and seeking out the wide open spaces to run freely. Jared finally caught up with just outside the main city. The new wolf was resting under a tree, glancing upward at the sky. The first sight of Jensen literally took his breath away. The man had certainly been attractive as a human, with perfectly chiseled features and sleek grace but as a wolf he was nothing short of stunning. His fur was a dark blonde color, and his eyes, startlingly green, reflected the light of the moon so that they could be clearly seen from far away.  
  
Jared halted a few meters away, announcing his presence with a low whine. Any other wolf would probably have sensed him from far away, but clearly Jensen hadn't learnt how to use his new, altered senses. At the sound, Jensen turned to face him. His tail came up immediately, swishing from side to side deliberately. His ears twitched backwards and he bared his teeth, growling softly.  
  
Jared's wolf was taken aback, as Alpha he was unused to such a display of aggression against himself and certainly not from a first time turner. Jared's rational mind could certainly understand why the other wolf would be upset, in fact if he were in Jensen's position, he would do a lot more than just growl. But the wolf in him knew that turned werewolves tended to be deferential, at least for the first few times. The aggressive pose of the newcomer puzzled his wolf, and Jared again had a tough time trying to think clearly. All this confusion was new to him, before now his wolf had been so in sync with him that he barely realized the difference between his two halves.  
  
Before Jared could make a decision, the wolf in him was already responding to the threat leveled against him with a snarl of his own. The next few seconds happened so fast, Jared had no idea what was going on. One second, he was staring at Jensen from a few meters away, the next he was being bulldozed by over hundred pounds of blond fur. Jared had been in plenty of fights in his life, and had proved himself to be a good one over the years. He certainly wouldn't have made Alpha if he hadn't. But most of those fights had actually been rather civil affairs, closely monitored by the pack elders, and a test of skill and agility rather than the ability to actually hurt the other competitor.  
  
He certainly hadn't been in a fight where the other party had attempted to tear out a chunk of his throat within the first five seconds. His wolf caught on faster then he did, and managed to roll away from under the other wolf. His wolf seemed genuinely confused, unable to comprehend why the owner of the strange new scent wanted to attack him. However, it didn’t take long for the confusion to gave way to indignation, and then annoyance. An Alpha didn't have to put up with this sort of insubordination. Jared could feel the second his wolf crouched to launch a counter attack and used every ounce of will power to hold himself back. His wolf had won the battle of wills against him once already today, with disastrous consequences.  
  
He tucked his tail in between his legs slowly, pushed his belly close to the hard ground ignoring every trait bred into him by his Alpha status. Jensen obviously had no idea about wolves, but maybe his instincts would let him understand that Jared didn't want to hurt him.  
  
It seemed to work, at least partly. Jensen was still puffed out and snarling, but at least he wasn't baring his teeth anymore and it didn't look like he was planning to launch another attack soon. Jared took that as an encouraging sign, and crawled forward a couple of inches, only to be warned back immediately by the other wolf.  
  
After almost half an hour of his efforts of trying to make nice being rebuffed, Jared was almost at his wits end. They were unlikely to be people around outside at this time, but it wasn't impossible. He finally decided that he need help, and howled out his desperation to the sky, hoping and praying that the pack would hear him.  
  
\-----------------------------  
  
Misha was starting to regret his promise to Jared to take charge of the situation. Jared had created this whole mess, and it didn't seem fair that Misha had to handle a hysterical Genevieve on the phone, an equally hysterical long haired man in person, five extremely confused pack members and three hyperactive pups all at the same time.  
  
"What do you mean, you turned him?" The long haired man…Chris was asking him for what seemed to be the hundredth time.  
  
"As I explained, it was a misunderstanding."  
  
"No, a misunderstanding is when you order a burger and get a tuna salad instead. Changing a person's DNA, turning him into a goddamned wolf is not a _misunderstanding_."  
  
"I realize that we did was unforgivable. But we are doing out best to correct our unintentional mistake. And the Alpha is on his way to find your friend. I am sure that he will be able to do so very quickly. In the meantime, we need to leave this area, there are a lot of police around, and we are all in danger here."  
  
"Well, maybe I should report the lot of you. I bet they would just love to arrest a dangerous pack of human attackers."  
  
"You could, and you would be well within your rights to do so. But the more important thing right now is to help your friend. We cannot do that if we are behind bars."  
  
"When we find him, can you turn him back…I mean it hasn't been too long since he was bitten, right?"  
  
Misha started to shake his head, but was distracted by the sound of a low howl. It was almost too high for him to pick out in his human form, but the message was clear. His Alpha needed him.


	6. Chapter 6

Ben was startled awake from his dream of chasing a really big brown rabbit at the sound of angry voices, some unfamiliar, that of strangers. He shuddered for a second, remembering the last time he had heard the voices of strangers when he was kept in the really small room with the steel bars. But those voices hadn't been angry, just bland. There had been none of the affection that he was used to hearing from adults, his mother, his father or the dozens of other adults that had taken care of him so far. Those voices had made him feel cold, even though the room had been warm.  
  
He peered around groggily, taking comfort from the familiar sights around him, his brother and sister sleeping just inches from him, the smells of the known adults all around him, and the slow rumbling of the floor below him that meant that they were moving, hopefully away from the nasty place. He glanced all around just to make sure and felt happier when he saw his pack all around him. The angry sounds were coming from a strange man with hair that was even longer than his mom's. It scared him a little, but he knew he didn't have to worry with all the pack adults around.  
  
He wished his mother were here right now, cuddling him but this was probably the next best thing he could hope for. She would probably find him soon anyway; no way would she not try to be back with them. She always said that they were more precious than the moon to her.  
  
Remembering his mother reminded him of being held and nuzzled and comforted, and suddenly he wanted that desperately. His mother wouldn't mind if he cuddled with someone else for a few minutes, would she? He glanced around, trying to find his best option. The girls of the pack always cuddled him and his siblings, whenever they saw him. But there was only one girl, and she seemed upset, all curled up into herself and small. He looked around, and finally settled on the kind looking one his mom called Misha. He looked upset too and he was sitting opposite the man with the angry voice, but at least he seemed calmer, so Ben clambered up onto his lap, burrowing his head under Misha's t-shirt.  
  
He was immediately gratified when a hand came up to pet him, pulling him gently from under the t-shirt. The man spoke gently to him, Ben couldn't recognize all the words yet but he understood the words _'safe'_ and ' _home'_ , and settled into the warm embrace. Immediately the angry voice faded away as well, and he could relax completely.  
  
He had almost fallen asleep again when he felt himself being moved onto the hard seat and away from the soft warmth of his current position. He vocalized his displeasure, but was ignored. He opened one eye with great reluctance and saw that all the adults were leaving. The sight was enough to startle him awake. They weren't going to leave him and his brother and sister alone again were they, what if the men in the strange white coats found them again? He whined at his siblings, willing them to wake up, but to no avail.  
  
He jumped off the seat, and made his way to the door. The thought of going outside in the dark was scary, but at least he wouldn't be alone. He jumped down the step and was about to go up to Misha again, when he caught a new smell. It was known to him, but not in the way that he knew all the others. It was almost the same but not quite, and then suddenly he remembered, the green eyed man who had looked at him from outside the strange room with the bars, the only one who hadn't had a cold voice. His voice had been warm and smooth, and had reminded him of home.  
  
He glanced around, hoping to spot his new friend again. He finally located the source of the smell, and overjoyed to see that the green eyed man was now in his true form. He had been really hurt the last time that Ben had seen him, and his smell had been soured with the stink of blood. But now he was a wolf like Ben, and Ben could nuzzle him and talk to him now, he could say thank you and he would be understood. He ran to the friend, ignoring the gasps and shouts from all around. His Mom always said that he should listen to the pack adults, but he just wanted to say hi to his friend, he was sure that was okay.  
  
He skidded to a halt when his friend snarled at him. He tried to make himself smaller, and whined in a low tone, feeling a little hurt. He had only wanted to say thank you, and his mom had said that everybody liked hearing that. He had just wanted to say that he was happy that his friend was safe and healthy. He heard a new authoritative howl from behind, calling him back and he immediately recognized the voice, _Alpha_.  
  
He started to turn around, feeling a little disappointed, the Alpha had to be obeyed no matter what. He didn't know why though, it wasn't something his mom had told him, it was just something he could feel from deep inside. But at the last minute, he turned around again, pleading with his new friend one last time. Alpha would let him play with his new friend, if only his friend would act a little nicer.  
  
He was rewarded for his persistence when the snarling grew softer and after a few seconds stopped entirely. He glance around, searching for his Alpha's approval, surely he could go and say hi to his friend now? The Alpha gave a slightly hesitant nod, and Ben walked up to his new friend proudly, reaching up to lick him. His friend was large in his true form, so he could only reach his legs.  
  
He felt the large head come down, and shivered as the breaths of the large wolf gently caressed his head. He mewled softly, as he felt the familiar sensation of being washed and unfurled himself on the ground to give full access to the adult.  
  
  
  
\------------------------------  
  
  
Jared was drawn as tight as a wire, the very real risk to his youngest pack member scaring him more than anything had every done so before. It would probably take him only slightly more than a second to reach the duo just a few feet away from him, but in all likelihood it would take much less than that for Jensen to turn the trusting pup in front of him into a mangled mess of bones and flesh. Jared had made more than one unforgivable mistake already today, in turning Jensen and then in leaving him alone in that alley. What had he been thinking when he had stood by and let Ben approach a feral wolf? But somehow deep down, he knew that both the earlier decisions had felt wrong even as he made them, whether or not he admitted to himself, but this one felt right. Somehow he knew that the pup was safer snuggling up to Jensen than he could possibly be any other place.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should probably note that this isn't an Alpha/Omega fic. I love those stories so much but this one just has a pack leader Alpha and the rest of the pack as betas and there's no such thing as an omega in this particular universe. I really hope that doesn't come as a disappointment to anyone.

Chris felt a mild twinge of amusement as he saw his best friend proceed to lick the squirming pup with a single-minded determination. Knowing Jensen, he was probably making sure he didn’t miss any spots. There was Jensen Ackles for you, a man determined to be the best in any circumstances, whether it be graduating top of his class or acting as a surrogate momma wolf. He glanced around, looking for any sign as to what came next. Most of the werewolves looked even more lost than he did, so at least he could hope that this sort of thing was unfamiliar to them as well. 

Chris was still in disbelief regarding the horrifying turn of events. He would be having some very firm words with Genevieve when this situation under some kind of control. He had been so sure that it would go smoothly. He thought the worst that could happen was that Jensen would have probably to deal with his father’s suspicions later. But at the end of the day, the ill tempered man did love his son, hidden though it may be under a mountain of ego and pride. He genuinely hadn’t thought that Jensen would face even legal difficulties let alone something like this.

He suppressed the twinge of guilt for now and strode forward purposefully, ignoring the mutters and gasps from all around. It wasn’t like they were bursting with helpful suggestions anyway. The alpha wolf watched him closely, but made no move to interfere. Chris finally stopped less than ten feet away from the odd duo, and crouched down. 

He didn’t have to wait long to attract his friend’s attention. He was rewarded with a low growl for his trouble, and snorted to himself. He tried to remember every bit of advice he had ever learnt in how to deal with wild animals but quickly realized he knew none and decided it wasn’t what he should be doing anyway. This was his friend, not some wild animal and he was going to treat him that way.

“Jensen, I need you to listen to me.”

Disturbingly intelligent and aware green eyes finally made contact with his own from the body of a wolf, and for a second he was looking at his friend again, as human as anybody could possibly be.

“I know this is confusing, and you are scared or angry or feeling whatever the hell you might be feeling right now,” He couldn’t help turning to glare at the other wolf behind him, who slumped slightly, to Chris’ satisfaction. “But staying here is not going to help, so you need to get it together and come with us, right now.”

Jensen tilted his head slightly, and Chris wondered for a second if he could even understand him. Then almost purposefully, Jensen picked up the unresisting pup by the scruff of its neck and made his way to the van, jumping into it with a surprising amount of grace.

“Thank you for that, Chris.” The man who had introduced himself as Misha spoke up. Chris thought he looked vaguely impressed.

“What happens now?” Chris questioned.

“We will take him back to our…well I guess you could call it our headquarters.” Misha looked hesitant, as if he was having second thoughts. Maybe he was afriaid if revealing their hideout. Well, too bad. chris was going to make sure they cleaned up their mess.

“And then what?” Chris asked the other man. "How will you fix this?"

“This is a big change, Chris. He will need our help and guidance to learn how to live with this.”

“Live with this? He’s not going to _live with this,_ you are going to change him back, then let us go and hope like hell that we don’t report you to the cops.”

“It’s not that simple Chris, once turned there is no way of going back to being human. He will need our help to learn how to adjust, and then he can leave if he wishes.”

“If he wishes? You are certainly full of yourselves.” Chris couldn't hide his disbelief at the man's assumptions.

“I didn’t mean to imply…” 

Misha was interrupted by a tall guy with messy hair dressed in what appeared to be a trench coat. With a start, Chris realized that that was all the other man was wearing. And sure enough, when he looked around, the other wolf was missing. Chris figured he had been distracted during the actual transformation, so he could at least be grateful for small mercies.

“I am the one who turned your friend, Misha and the others had nothing to do with my decision." The man said quietly. "I know that nothing I say can really make a difference right now, possibly ever. But please let my people help Jensen.”

“Fine, but you are not coming with us.” Chris insisted. He has no idea how much, if anything Jensen could remember but he didn't want his friend's attacker anywhere near him.

“If that makes you more comfortable, fine.” The taller man looked like remorse personified, and Chris imagined he would probably start turning back somersaults if asked to right then. Despite his anger, it made him feel a bit like he was kicking a puppy.

“Misha, take them back to my house. “ He nodded at Misha.

“What about you?” Misha looked doubtful.

“It’s been a while since I had a really long run, it will probably do me a lot of good.” Jensen's attacker turned and walked away from the group immediately.

“Okay, Jared. Be careful. We don’t need anybody else getting hurt tonight. Chris, come on." Chris followed Misha back into the van.   
  
\---------------------------------------  
  
Jensen warily watched the strangers enter the van one by one, and unconsciously edged closer to the pup with each new entry. He felt disoriented, lost and less like himself than he ever remembered being, but the one thing that made sense to him right now was taking care of the pup. It somehow seemed very important that he allow no harm to come to the tiny creature curled up against his side. He couldn't help tensing as the vehicle rumbled, and he felt them start to move.

The one who had spoken to him earlier sat much closer than the rest of the lot. Jensen could almost remember him, like a glimmer at the back of his mind. The glimmer was enough to realize that he wasn’t a threat, but it only caused more frustration. He couldn’t make sense of any of his thoughts, and the feeling was unfamiliar.

The feeling of the vehicle finally coming to a halt and the van gradually emptied out except for… _Chris_ , the name came to Jensen in a sudden flash. The word brought back flashes of memory, himself and Chris sitting side by side on a ratty old sofa watching a game on the television, listening to his advice on how to pick up girls. Then came the image of the two of them sitting on the same sofa again, this time making a decision to save three helpless pups.

He whined at his friend.

‘ _I know you,’_ he tried to say, ‘ _Help me.’_

Chris crouched down next to him, murmuring softly. Some of the sounds and words were familiar but it hurt his head to try and figure them out. He leaned forward, pushing his head into his friend’s hand. The hand rested gingerly on his head for a few seconds, and then started petting him slowly.

Jensen expressed his pleasure with a low rumble, and was startled when the other man started laughing at that. He automatically puffed out his chest to appear a little more intimidating, but was rewarded with another laugh and a light scruff of his ear.


	8. Chapter 8

_Jensen leaned back against the tree trunk, fingers absently curling with the grass on the ground. He knew this wasn’t real, not real like Chris or his job or his apartment…but that was okay. Real things were filled with pain and confusion and helplessness, and if he left this place, he would have to go back to all that. He much preferred here. He remembered this place, it was a park his mother had taken him to once as a child, and he had loved it because it wasn’t like all the other parks that he had ever seen before. There were no swings or slides, just trees and grass and a rusty old fountain that looked like a waterfall, and the grass wasn’t trimmed to look like a carpet instead peeking out from everywhere stubbornly, but he had loved it._

_There had been no other people that day either, it was just him and his mother, and he remembered running till it felt like his legs would fall off, till it felt like he was all the way to the end of the world. He had been happy that day, in a pure untainted way that maybe only children could be. He wondered why he is not happy now, when he is in the exact same place all over again. He wondered if he can be happy again. He got up, brushing strands of grass from his jeans and walked to the rusty old fountain, and watched the water trickle feebly over the moss covered stones._

_The hand on his shoulder didn’t surprise him, and he leaned into the touch._

_“You’ve grown so much,” His mother’s voice is just as he remembers it._

_“You’re not real,” Jensen said, still not turning to look at her._

_“Does it matter?”_

_“No, not really.” He finally turned to look at her. She looked beautiful, like in the old pictures he had of her, like the picture he saw he saw every day when he opened his laptop, not as she had been in the end, and he was absurdly grateful for that._

_“Why are you here, Jensen?”_

_“It’s better here.”_

_“I know, but you can’t stay here for long. I think you know that.”_

_“You can’t make me leave.”_

_“Jensen, I know that you are in pain. What happened to you was wrong, on so many levels that you don’t even know yet,” His mother’s voice changed as she spoke, as when he turned to look at her again, it’s not her anymore, not really. She looked like a stranger now, and yet felt as familiar as she had a minute ago._

_“Who are you?”_

_“It doesn’t matter, Jensen. I am a part of you now, I can be your mother, your best friend, your worst enemy. I am whatever you need me to be. I will be with you wherever you go. ”_

_“And I don’t get a say in that?”_

_“No, you don’t. You didn’t get the choice you deserved…but now you do have a lot of decisions to make, Jensen. And you have to go back to make them.”_

_The woman’s face briefly morphs back to that of his mother, and she carded her hand through his hair, and pulled him down for a gentle kiss against his forehead and ran her hands over his eyes to close them._

_Jensen leaned back again and basked in the comfort of her presence, he wasn't quite ready to let go of this place just yet ._


	9. Chapter 9

It was more than two hours later when Jared finally reached his family home. He could have gotten there a lot faster but for the first time in his life, he was scared at the thought of meeting his pack. No, not scared. He was ashamed, the guilt curling into his stomach more with each moment, till it felt like his insides were made of lead. He could imagine the reproach on his parents’ faces. They had been so proud of him, the day that he had been made the Alpha for his pack.

He remembered being called in by the pack elders, being informed that he had been granted the honour and the responsibilities that came with the role. He was the youngest Alpha in his pack in over a hundred years. He had been so happy on that day. It had been a simpler time, before news of the weres had been revealed to the humans. Back then the biggest regret of his life had been a failed romantic relationship. It seemed silly now, how devastated he had been when Genevieve had left him and the pack. But back then he hadn’t had to worry about the safety of his pack every minute of every day. He hadn’t yet become the first Alpha in generations to lose two of his pack members in under a year.

He hadn’t thought it could get worse but he knew how wrong he had been now. He had let his whole pack down. He had revealed himself to the monster that the world believed they all were. He shuddered as he remembered the satisfaction that he had felt when turning Jensen Ackles. He had been so self-righteous in his anger. In a single moment, he had destroyed the life of a good man. He wasn’t sure how to cope with that. His mind kept replaying the look of fear and shock in the other man’s strikingly green eyes as he had realized he was being attacked.

As he had made the slow walk back to his home, he had even briefly entertained the thought of just running away, not having to explain to his pack that he had failed them so badly. But whatever else he might have become today; he wasn’t a coward. He would answer for his actions, whatever the consequences may be.

He saw his mother sitting on the small porch of their house, hair blowing lightly in the windy night. She gave a small sigh of relief when she finally spotted him.

He came to a halt in front of her, completely speechless in her presence. He had nothing to say for himself.

“Jared,” His mother said softly. “Are you alright?”

He felt even worse when he saw the worry on her face. At the moment he would have preferred it if she had shouted at him, maybe even slapped him. The look of quiet concern on her face was more than he could bear. He resisted the urge to break down and cry, he didn’t have that luxury right now.

“Is Jensen Ackles okay?” he asked her, voice as level as he manage right now. He could sense the other man through the pack bond already, a new connection shining brightly among the dozens of old ones. It felt surprisingly strong, stronger even than the ones with his own family, startling him.

“Yes, he is safe for now.” His mother responded. “We left him alone in the master bedroom with his friend and Ben. Jensen wouldn’t let Ben out of his sight, and it seemed to keep him calm. Ben was very happy to keep his new friend company.” She smiled slightly at the thought. “He changed back half an hour ago. He was sleeping when I last checked.”

Jared nodded, feeling slightly relieved. “That’s good to know.”

“Jared…” his mother hesitated. “Misha told us what happened. Tell me he’s lying, because the son I raised would never turn a man unwillingly.” Her voice hardened, and Jared could hear the anger in it now.

“He’s right. Jensen was just standing there with the pups, I thought he was stealing them. I was just so angry, I kept thinking about Jake and Alyssa, and all the other weres from other packs that were hunted down and killed like animals. I wanted…” Jared could feel his voice break, but he pressed on. “I wanted revenge.”

“Oh, Jared.” His mother sighed sadly.

“I am so sorry, Mom. Please tell me what to do.” Jared pleaded with his mother, feeling like he had as a five-year-old when he had broken the expensive china.

“I don’t know, Jared. I really don’t know. But you can’t hide yourself. You are still the Alpha and everyone is scared and confused. You need to talk to them now.”

“I don’t know what to say to them.” Jared admitted.

His mother pulled him in a brief hug but when she spoke her words were sharp. “Figure it out, Jared. You were chosen to lead this pack. Now do your job.”

She guided him into the large living room, which was packed with most of their pack. Joe and the pups were not in the room, although he could sense that they were nearby. Probably his mother had put them given the poor man some time alone with his pups after their experience. Misha and his father were in a corner with his grandfather and another elder, talking quietly but they stopped as soon as he entered the room.

The rest of the pack were settled on the large sofa and dining table, a few settled on the large carpet in the centre as well. Their pack was one of the larger ones in the city, with over thirty members. Most of them were part of Jared’s extended family, though they had taken in some smaller families in the last decade as well. He spotted Gen at the corner of the dining table. Her eyes were red, and she refused to meet his eyes.

He cleared his throat, although it was unnecessary, every single person in the room was already watching him like a hawk. “I am sure you have heard what happened. I have no excuse, no explanation. I made a mistake, and I am deeply sorry. I have failed as the Alpha and endangered our whole pack.” He spoke quietly but knew every one of them would be able to hear him clearly anyway.

His Grandfather stepped forward slowly. “Jared, I have to say, I am deeply disappointed. How could you…” He broke off, sounded lost.

Jared met his eyes, but didn’t say anything else. He wasn’t sure there was anything he could say that would make any difference anyway.

“Now is not the time for recriminations.” Misha announced firmly. “Right now, we have a newly turned were who is lost and scared. Our first priority should be to help him.”

“He’s right.” Jared’s father agreed immediately.

“He’s Jensen Ackles, son of Alan Ackles.” Lisa, one of the younger members, pointed out. “And now he knows where we live. If his father finds out, he will capture us and kill us all like animals.” Her voice rose in fear, and a murmur went across the room as a few others agreed.

“That does not matter right now.” Jared’s mother intervened immediately. “Right now, all that matters is that he’s pack and we have to take care of him. Look, there’s nothing we can do right now about who he is. I want you to go to your homes. There’s no point in panicking. Just continue as normal, and we promise you, we will let you know if there’s any danger.”

The room emptied slowly leaving only his family, Misha and Genevieve. A few packmates patted Jared on the shoulder as they left. Jared was grateful for the comfort, small though it might be. Weres were inherently tactile, and there was something comforting about the touch of his pack even now.

“I think we should check on Jensen.” Misha’s tone was polite but left no room for argument. Jared nodded slightly, following the other man to his parents’ bedroom.

Misha knocked on the door lightly before opening it. Jensen was back to his human form. Jared recognized the clothes the other man was wearing as his own. Jensen was sleeping on the left side of the bed, Ben curled up on his stomach. Jared gasped as the pack bond between them intensified, overwhelming all his other connections briefly.

Chris was seated on the other side of the bed but jumped up as soon as he entered the room. Jared forced himself to not move an inch as the other man stalked towards him angrily. He wasn’t surprised at all when Chris threw a punch at him. It wasn’t enough to hurt him even a little but he wished for a second that it did.

“How dare you bring him here?” Chris hissed at Misha angrily.

“Chris, as I explained, he is the Alpha, undeserving though you may find him at the moment. Jensen will need his help to recover from this…trauma.”

“What do you mean? What does Alpha even mean anyway?”

“It simply means that he leads the pack. The Alpha forms mental bonds with all of his pack, to varying degrees. It helps us stay together, survive together.”

“Well then, make someone else the Alpha and let them help Jensen.”

“It’s not that simple. An Alpha bond takes time both to form and break. It would end up being even more traumatizing for Jensen right now. Additionally, since Jared is the one who turned Jensen, they are linked even more closely.” Misha explained carefully.

“Seems like a bunch of bullshit to force a victim to deal with his attacker.” Chris threw an ugly glance at Jared.

“I get why you are angry.” Jared spoke up. “I promise you, I would give up being the alpha right now if it wouldn’t only make things worse for your friend.”

Chris seemed to deflate at that, looking over at the sleeping man. “You people can help him?” He turned back to Misha desperately.

“We will.” Misha assured. “You have no reason to believe us, but Jensen is pack now. Any one of us would give our lives to protect him.”

“He didn’t want a goddamn pack. He just wanted to live his life.” Chris dropped back onto the bed, running his hand though Jensen’s hair lightly. “I was the one who convinced him to do this, this is my fault. Well mostly his.” He gestured at Jared aggressively. “But also mine.”

Jared winced, but decided staying silent was his best option for now.

“Are you sure you can’t turn him back?” Chris tried once again, voice desperate.

“I am afraid it’s not possible.” Misha said gently. “But we will take care of him.”

“Why is he not waking up?” Chris asked.

“The process of turning can be very taxing on the body. He simply needs to rest while his body and mind adapt to the changes. All we can do for now is to wait.”

**Author's Note:**

> Would love feedback. Leave a kudos or comment if you enjoy the story!


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